Formative Tracks

Welcome to Formative Tracks, the show where we sit down with D.C.-area musicians to talk about the Top 5 songs that made them who they are—as a musician and otherwise. In this episode, we chat with Herndon, Virginia singer/songwriter Crys Matthews on why Vertical Horizon and Sweet Honey in the Rock made her list. Catch the show weekly on WERA 96.7 FM Radio Arlington or on-demand at Mixcloud.

This week, we had Jay Nemeyer—lead singer of D.C. electro-pop band Color Palette—in the studio, who chatted with us about Cream, Led Zeppelin and a little Justice. Catch the show weekly on WERA 96.7 FM Radio Arlington and on Mixcloud, or check out a sample of the show on Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, we chatted with Don Michael Mendoza, co-founder of La Ti Do Productions and cabaret singer extraordinaire, about why Nat King Cole and old-school Madonna made his Top 5 song list. Check out the show on WERA 96.7 Radio Arlington or listen on Mixcloud.

Jazz, gospel and R&B vocalist Shacara Rogers chats about TLC, Gretchen Parlato and Nina Simone. Catch the show on WERA 96.7 Radio Arlington or listen on Mixcloud.

Mina Karimi, lead vocalist of D.C. shoegaze outfit Distant Creatures, tells us what she is drawn to music about heartache, how she can relate to Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star and what it feels like to perform as a soloist. Catch the show on WERA 96.7 FM Radio or Arlington or listen on Mixcloud.

Maryland experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist Corey Thuro discusses Henry Flynt, music from Maryanne Amacher and the importance of nature. Catch the show on WERA 96.7 Radio Arlington or click here for the full episode.

D.C. vocalist Jenna Camille talks '90s R&B and explains why she doesn't shy away from daring Prince songs. Catch the show on WERA 96.7 Radio Arlington or click here for the full episode.

Allthebestkids frontman Cody Valentine talks about mental health, his most influential rappers and Pink Floyd. Catch the show on WERA 96.7 Radio Arlington or click here for the full episode.

Bassist and Black Folks Don't Swim? bandleader Clarissa Corey-Bey explains why Mary Mary, Earth Wind and Fire and The Internet offer endless inspiration. Catch the show on WERA 96.7 Radio Arlington or click here for full episode.

D.C. jazz pianist and Washington Women in Jazz Festival founder Amy K. Bormet waxes poetic on Shirley Horn and explains why she sometimes hides her skills as a vocalist. Catch the show on WERA 96.7 Radio Arlington or click here for the full episode.

In our Season 2 opener, D.C. jazz vocalist and composer Christie Dashiell chats about Stevie Wonder, Lizz Wright and a very meaningful cheeseburger sub.

Saman Saffron, lead singer and bassist for D.C. punk-tinged rock outfit Honey, chats about her personal connection to "The Sound of Music," Roberta Flack and Mariah Carey. To hear the full episode, visit Mixcloud.

Andrew Grossman, lead vocalist of D.C. folk-pop outfit The North Country, shares his love of They Might Be Giants and divulges his deepest thoughts on social media. To hear this complete episode, visit Mixcloud.

Sasha Elisabeth, lead vocalist and songwriter for ethereal D.C. group Lotion Princess, talks Rilo Kiley, Bob Marley and the meaning behind her tattoo. To hear this complete episode, visit Mixcloud.

Austin Blanton, bassist for D.C. modern folk group Near Northeast, discusses Billy Bragg and Bjork, while providing a new method for listening to recordings. To hear the full episode, click here.

In an extended-play episode, singer-songwriter Justin Trawick drops by Formative Tracks to chat about The Rolling Stones, Ani DiFranco and collaborating with Sen. Tim Kaine. To hear this complete episode, listen on Mixcloud. And catch the songs mentioned in this episode on the Formative Tracks Spotify playlist.

Jazz vocalist Integriti Reeves shares some big news, explains why she has a particular fondness for Joni Mitchell and gets a tad emotional about a Disney tune. To hear this complete episode, listen on Mixcloud. And to catch the songs in this episode, stream the Formative Tracks Spotify playlist.

Caroline Weinroth, pageant queen and frontwoman of retro trio Cinema Hearts, joins us to chat about Broadway, Mitski and why there aren’t more women in sound engineering. To hear the complete episode, visit Mixcloud, and to hear the songs featured on this episode, visit the Spotify Formative Tracks playlist.

Virginia singer-songwriter Pearie Sol chats Keith Jarrett, The Cramps and Gary Numan, and explains why his website is so zany. To hear the complete episode, visit Mixcloud, and to hear the music in this episode, visit the Formative Tracks Spotify playlist.

In an extended-play episode, D.C. singer-songwriter Heather Mae discusses the roles mental illness, body-image issues and self-acceptance have played in her own music and the songs that inspire her. To hear all of the music in this episode, visit the Spotify Formative Tracks playlist.

Dave Mohl, guitarist and synth player for electro-pop foursome Mystery Friends, sits down to wax poetic about Oscar Peterson, Radiohead and Priests.

Abby Rasheed, lead vocalist and songwriter for Abby Rasheed and The Sundry Collective, shares why she adores Vashti Bunyan and Of Montreal. Plus, learn how arguments amount broken appliances can lead to a stellar song.

Singer-songwriter Jasmine Gillison shares why she looks to Jewel, Nelly Furtado and George Gershwin for inspiration.

Christopher Mathews-Larsen, of solo post-rock/ambient project Grave Nature, chats about Swans, Brian Eno and Schubert.

Singer-songwriter and member of many bands Maryjo Mattea sits down to talk shop and dig into her love of Death Cab.

In our first episode of Season 4, Virginia singer-songwriter Krista O’Connell talks about how she’s supporting fellow musicians during the pandemic, as well as how a panic attack during an early performance only made her more fearless. Oh, and there’s that howl you have to hear.To hear the music in this episode, visit the Formative Tracks Spotify playlist.

Virginia singer-songwriter Jahnel Daliya says the pandemic upended her plans for a tour and forced her to adjust to livestreaming, a format she’s not too keen on. “Sometimes you’ve just got to get out of your house.” The self-described “outdoor kid” picked up performance later in life and chats with us about TLC, Sam Cooke and how sleep paralysis influenced her music.livestreaming, a format she's not too keen on. "Sometimes you've just got to get out of your house." The self-described "outdoor kid" picked up performance later in life and chats with us about TLC, Sam Cooke and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.To hear the songs in this episode, visit the Formative Tracks Spotify playlist.

Electropop/rock singer-songwriter and producer Elijah Cruise talks about how the pandemic upended his performance plans, and how he's adjusting. Explore his love of The Postal Service and Dan Fogelberg, and hear the backstory behind his epic song "Where Did All My Friends Go?"To hear the music in this episode, visit the Formative Tracks Spotify playlist.

Philip Basnight of rock outfit Broke Royals discusses the band’s “Alone, Together” series, as well as why he loves Jay-Z, Sleater-Kinney and the go-to tune with which to flood his band van, “Judy French.” Hear the songs mentioned in this episode on the Formative Tracks Spotify playlist.

This season, we reached out to prior show guests to see how they’re doing during a year like no other. Catch our conversation recorded earlier this year with Jasmine Gillison, who talks about how she’s managed to keep the music going and provides sneak peeks of some new songs.

Last year, we caught up with Virginia ambient guitarist Tristan Welch, who tells us how he's continued performing during the pandemic and why he turns to My Bloody Valentine and Public Enemy for inspiration. To hear the music discussed in this episode, visit our Spotify playlist.

This season, we reached out to prior show guests to see how they’re doing during a year like no other. Catch our season closer with Sasha Elisabeth of Lotion Princess, who discusses life, love and moving forward.